Abstract
This study set out to elucidate the complex suite of associations between the Dark Triad personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy), emotional intelligence, empathy, and cyberbullying, as the respective findings regarding this topic have been inconsistent. Studies preponderantly have relied on abbreviated Dark Triad measures that do not differentiate between its lower-order facets. Further, most extant studies have exclusively been based on female psychology undergraduates and have not accounted for known sex differences on the Dark Triad traits and cyberbullying, or for negative associations between cyberbullying and age. Therefore, this nexus of interrelations was investigated in a diverse community sample (N = 749). A structural equation-modeling approached was used to examine predictors of cyberbullying and to test for mediating relationships between lower-order Dark Triad facets and emotional intelligence and empathy. Multigroup models were applied to test for sex-specific patterns. Empathy did not predict cyberbullying, whereas emotional intelligence partly mediated the Dark Triad associations with cyberbullying among both sexes. Sex-specific patterns in the associations between Dark Triad traits and cyberbullying were particularly observed for the grandiose and vulnerable narcissism facets. Emotional intelligence appeared to buffer effects of grandiose narcissism on cyberbullying. Future research could fruitfully explore cyberbullies’ profiles regarding primary and secondary psychopathy, sex differences in narcissism, and buffering effects of emotional intelligence. Further improvements regarding the measurement of dark personality traits are indicated as well.
Highlights
Lacking significant associations with the outcome variables, empathy could not be used as a mediator in the present data and was not included in the subsequent Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses
No substantive correlations were observed between the two psychopathy factors and emotional intelligence
The objective of the study was to examine the mutual associations between the Dark Triad traits, emotional intelligence, empathy, and cyberbullying, and to control for age effects and possible sex differences
Summary
Bullying is a proactive form of aggression (Boulton and Smith, 1994; Sutton et al, 2001) which has been in the focus of research for quite some time, whereas cyberbullying is a topic which only surfaced with the increasing spread of the internet and social media. Tokunaga (2010, p. 278) defines cyberbullying as “any behavior performed through electronic or digital media by individualsCyberbullying and the Dark Triad or groups that repeatedly communicates hostile or aggressive messages intended to inflict harm or discomfort on others”, which includes online stalking and harassment (Lowry et al, 2016).Depending on the breadth of the definition used, prevalence rates of cyberbullying vary between 5 and 65% (Kowalski et al, 2018). 278) defines cyberbullying as “any behavior performed through electronic or digital media by individuals. It has been estimated that 1–44% of the population are perpetrators of cyberbullying (Kowalski et al, 2018). Anonymity implies lower costs, which has been associated with an increase in cyberbullying behavior. Women see more costs and less benefits than men; they are less prone to exert cyberbullying behavior (Lowry et al, 2016). Age seems to have an impact on cyberbullying as well, as older individuals have more difficulties, less routine, and less motivation to use social media in general, and to use it in a malevolent way (Ionut-Dorin, 2017)
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